Teeter-ladder and the like.



W. S. TOTHILL.

TEETER LADDER AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 11, 1913 Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. S. TOTHILL.

TBETER LADDER 'AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.11, 1913.

1,113,384. Patented 0ct.1'3,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED i s'rn'rns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. TOTHILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TEETEE-LADDER AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters liatent. Patent-ed Oct. 13, 1914;.

Application filed February 11, 1913. Serial No. 747,656.

'ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. TO'rI-IILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Teeter-Ladders and the like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

released his end of the ladder when the child i on the other end of the ladder is still in raised position, there has been nothing to prevent the child from coming down to the ground at a dangerous speed, resulting in a shock and very often an accident of considerable seriousness. 1

It is the object of my invention to provide means, in connection with a device of this sort, by reason of which the child using the device may be guarded against being brought to the earth with a crash and shock in the manner just described. The means by which I have accomplished this object are illustrated in the accompanying drawings 7 and are hereinafter specifically described.

That which I believe to be new'is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a side view of the teeter ladder embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same device, partly broken away, with the ladder in turned position; Fig. 3 is a view, partly broken away, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 isa view, partly broken away, taken on line 4c4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4- but showing a modification thereof; Fig. 6 is a modified form of device; Fig. 7 is a view, partly broken away,

. taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a view, partly broken away, taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4:,2021 indicate standards suitably mounted upon bases 22 and connected by cross-bars 23-24. 25-26 indicate the side-bars of a ladder pivotally mounted by means of a rod 27 between the standards 2021. The ends of the sidebars 2526 of the ladder are of suitable shape for being grasped for use in the ordinary manner, as will be readily understood. The side-bars 25-26 are provided at each side of the standards 2021' with a crossbar 28, to which two cross-bars 28 are connected by means of bolts or in any other suitable manner fiat springs 2930. As is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, when the ladder is in horizontal position the ends of the springs 29-3O are spaced away from the standards 2021, but when the ladder is turned into an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, the

springs are brought into contact with the' standards whereby a further turning of the ladder from its horizontal position'is yieldingly opposed. By reason of the construction just described, if the ladder is released by one of the users when the one at the other end of the ladder is at a height of sev eral feet, the ladder is free to turn without restriction until one of the springs is brought into contact with the standard, after which the movement of the ladder is gradually eased and is finally stopped. These cushioning devices serve to remove the shock and the strain which would otherwise be experienced upon such a fall and also serve as a stop to limit the movement of the end of the ladder downward whereby the body of the user is kept out of contact with the ground.

Referring to Fig. 5, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, but with the addition of the exponent a, 81 indicates a heavy board which takes the place of the ladder used in the construction heretofore described. As shown in Fig. 1, the standards 2021 are provided with a plurality of registering openings through which the pivot rod 27 can be inserted. for holding the ladder 25 at the desired heights It is designed that the standards 20*21 be provided with additional openings for the insertion of the pivot rod 27 whereby the board 31 may be held at the desired height somewhat nearer the base than is desired for use of the ladder 25.

Referring now to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, which show a modified form of my device, 32 indicates a standard the lower end of which is supported in the ground or in any other suitable manner, in the construction shown said standard being in the form of a cylin drical pipe. 33 indicates a head slidably mounted upon the standard 32 being rotatably supported thereon by means of a sleeve 3% which is held in the desired position on the standard by means of a pin 35 which is adapted to be inserted through any one of a number of openings through the standard 32. The head 33 is also provided with registering openings 36 on its opposite sides through which the pin 35 is adapted to be inserted if desired whereby the head is held fixed at the desired elevation. As best shown in Fig. 7, the head 33 is provided with two laterally-extending pins 3738 upon which is pivotally mounted a ladder comprising side-bars 3940. As shown in Fig. 7, the head 33 is provided at each side with a laterally-extending arm 41, upon the outer ends of which arms are secured by means of clips 42 or in any other appropriate manner flat springs 43- 14. It will be noted that the springs 4344 serve the same purpose in connection with the ladder 3940 as do the springs in the construction first described in connection with the ladder, serving to cushion the movement of the ladder. In the modified form of construction just described, however, the ladder is capable of being turned about the standard as a pivot, the springs serving as described in whatever position the ladder is turned.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a teeter device pivotally mounted thereon, and a plurality of flat springs mounted upon the said teeter device on opposite sides of said support, said springs being adapted at a predetermined point in the turning of said teeter device to contact said support and yieldingly oppose the turning of said teeter device.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support comprising two standards spaced apart, a teeter device pivotally mounted upon said support, and flat springs mounted on said teeter device two at either side thereof arranged on opposite sides of said standards, said springs being adapted at a predetermined point in the turning of said teeter device upon said standards to be brought into contact with the standards whereby the turning of said teeter device is limited and cushioned.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination of a support, a teeter device pivotally mounted thereon, and a spring carried by one of said members in such position that it is out of contact with the other member when the teeter device stands in horizontal position, but that it contacts said other member when the teeter device has moved to a certain predetermined inclined position.

4. In a device of the type described, the

combination of a support, a teeter device pivotally mounted thereon, and springs mounted on said teeter device on opposite sides of said support, said springs being spaced away from said support when said teeter device is in horizontal position, but being adapted to contact said support when said teeter device has moved to a certain predetermined inclined position. 5. In a device of the type described, the combination of a support, a teeter device pivotally mounted'thereon, and flat springs mounted on the teeter device on opposite sides of said support and extending toward the support, said springs being adapted at certain predetermined points respectively in the turning of said teeter device to contact said support and yieldingly oppose the further turning of said teeter device.

6. In a device of the type described, the combination of a support, a teeter device pivotally mounted thereon, and flat springs mounted on the teeter device on opposite sides of said support and extending toward the support, said springs being curved at their inner ends adjacentto said support, said springs being adapted at certain predetermined points respectively in the turning of said teeter device to contact said support and yieldingly oppose the further turning of said teeter device.

IVILLIAM S. TOTHILL.

Witnesses:

W. H. DE BUsK, IV. A. FURNNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

